Four Arrests Over Slavery In St Albans

Four people have been arrested over slavery offences after police raided a house in St Albans.

Officers searched the property on Watford Road at 7am this morning (March 11th) following reports around potential human trafficking taking place there,

Four people were arrested at the address on suspicion of knowingly holding another person in servitude.

A 25 year old man from St Albans is currently in custody, while a 21 year old woman and a 61 year old woman from the city have been released on bail. The fourth person - a 64 year old man from St Albans - will face no further action.

Detective Inspector, Pete Frost from St Albans Police Station, said: "A lot of work has gone into today's warrant and these arrests are a great result for all the teams involved.

"Although this type of crime is rare in St Albans, we will continue to proactively follow up any leads of suspected slavery or trafficking offences. Being able to identify such crimes and deal with them effectively is a priority for us.

"By the Police and community continuing to work together we can make St Albans a safer place to live and work, prevent and detect crime."

Amanda Bell, Detective Chief Inspector, Serious and Organised Crime, said: "Modern Slavery covers a range of complex issues and could be happening right now in your neighbourhood and after a lot of nationwide campaigning, people are now becoming aware of the signs of modern slavery and reporting it to the Police.

"Human trafficking and modern slavery are horrific crimes and I would urge members of the public to report anything suspicion to us, as they could help someone who may not even be aware that they are a victim of these crimes and by reporting it - help change their lives."

If you suspect slavery is happening, you can call Hertfordshire Constabulary's non-emergency number 101 or the Modern Slavery helpline on 0800 0121 700 or visit www.modernslavery.co.uk.

If you want to stay anonymous you can can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org